Page 124 of The Immortal's One
The words sink in like a slow poison, paralyzing my muscles.
What doesthatmean?
Adir walks over to a chair that wasn’t there a moment ago, sitting down with a practiced ease. He laces his fingers behind his head, kicking one leg over the other.
“When Originals first came into existence, we each went our separate ways,” he begins, his voice soft, almost nostalgic. “Human civilizations were on the cusp of development, and each of us was intrigued by mortals. Their inventions, their rise—they fascinated us. I, for example, spent a long time among the early groups in the Fertile Crescent, guiding them toward the agricultural revolution.”
My pulse pounds in my ears, but I do my best to focus on his words while also trying to figure out how to get myself out of this situation.
There are no windows in the walls, and there are no seams on the vertical surfaces to indicate a hidden door. The floor looks solid. And no matter how many times I look, I don’t see any hinges blended in with the wall of bars.
The unwelcome realization that I won’t be able to leave this place without an Immortal’s power sinks into my gut.
I tune back into Adir’s evil speech. I have no doubt that’s exactly what this is.
“After years living among those mortals, I began to notice something.” His grin twists, his stare leering.
I decide to heed the silent command, not seeing how going along with his antics would put me in a worse situation than the one I’m already in. “What did you notice?” I ask.
His eyes sparkle. “That whenever I came across humans in the middle of an argument, a pleasant warmth grew in my chest.” He pats his sternum. “Right here. And my body… I cannot describe the strength and resilience I felt when I encountered conflict. It was…exhilarating.”
I nod slowly. “You gain power from conflict. Like war.”
“Exactly.” His grin morphs into one that’s more genuine. “See? You do know something.”
I decide his praise is worse than his disdain.
Yet I still ask, “What does any of this have to do with me? I’ve already told you… I’m not Des’sOne.”
“Patience.” He holds up a finger. Irritation darkens his features. “I’m getting there.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. Fear makes my pulse spike.
Adir blinks. And just like that, his expression clears. How easily he goes from amused to angry is more alarming than consistent anger would be.
“Like I said.” He lowers his hand, holding my stare. “I reveled in the sensations human conflict elicited within me. So much so that I even began orchestrating rather memorable disagreements between early civilizations.” A mischievous glint sparks in his gaze. “Ever heard of the Persian Wars, by chance?”
My lips part in shock, then I snap my mouth closed. “You can’t be serious.”
“And yet, I am.” He leans back in his chair. “It was enjoyable riling up those Persian tyrants, and so easy to get them to rush into war with the Greek city-states.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
Adir facilitated the well-known Greco-Persian Wars?
Impossible.
Is it?
I’m forced to admit it’s not.
He continues, “But as you might imagine, I was not the only one to realize how humans strengthened my powers. In less than a century, each of my fellow Originals figured out how mortals enhance their powers.
“It became quite a debacle.” He tilts back, staring at the stone ceiling, reliving a memory. “We all grew in power, but the interactions and manipulations we orchestrated began to threaten human existence. It was actually Thane who brought all of us to the table to discuss the matter.”
I struggle with the weight of his words, unsure whether I can believe them
I thought Originals came into existence knowing how humans fueled their powers. This version of how Original Immortals manipulated humanity makes the reality of the Immortals’ influence darker and more twisted than I’d ever imagined.
